On April 27, 2014, Ebony G. Patterson staged 'Invisible Presence: Bling Memories' during Jamaica’s Carnival. This participatory performance intervention sought to interrupt the space of the visible with that of the invisible. In Jamaica, socio-economic divides are apparent in the island’s Carnival, where middle and upper class residents frolic in the streets. Using the space of the Carnival as a platform and the bling funeral as a gesture, 'Invisible Presence: Bling Memories' inserted and asserted a moment of presence for those who may not otherwise have agency. Bling funerals are a growing popular practice in Kingston’s working class communities; proclaiming one of the most powerful declarations of individuality: You may not have noticed me when I was alive, but you will damn well see me as I Ieave. Invisible Presence: Bling Memories was commissioned for the exhibition "En Mas’: Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean" co-curated by Claire Tancons and Krista Thompson. En Mas’ is organized and presented by the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), New Orleans, and co-organized as a traveling exhibition by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York. The exhibition was made possible by an Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award with additional support provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. It will debut at the CAC New Orleans in spring 2015, and will tour through 2018. undefined

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